To Get Rich Is Glorious

The syndicated radio program "The Engines of Our Ingenuity" (think Mr Wizard in audio format) recently ran a fascinating episode about the Gutenberg Bible. Among the gems about Gutenberg's design (the proportions of the page and the type block both follow the Golden Section) and late medieval reading habits (reading silently to oneself was considered "spooky") is this financial tidbit: It has been estimated that Gutenberg grossed about fifteen million dollars (in today's money) from his 150 bibles. Take that, Harry Potter.--David E